This is Effortless (Drew & Courtney, #2) (Checkmate Duet Series Book 4)

CHAPTER ONE DREW My blood is boiling and I need to control myself before I blow. I’ve never been this angry in my entire life. Mia is staring up at me with her wide, bright eyes, hoping to manipulate and control me yet again. It’s not going to happen this time. It’s not going to happen ever. “You kidnapped my girlfriend. Have you lost your f*****g mind?” I inch closer to her face, making sure she knows I’m not playing around. “And you what? Dyed your hair blonde to match hers?” I can barely stand looking at her as it is and now she’s changed her appearance to fool me. “I didn’t touch her, Drew.” She stands up on her tippy-toes, making our faces even closer so they barely touch. I take a small step back. “I even used a keycard to get in,” she explains, reaching in her back pocket and waving the key in front of my face. “And people color their hair all the time. I decided it was time for a change,” she claims. As soon as I realized Mia was the one on top of me, I pushed her off and found my clothes. I made her dress and almost kicked her out before I remembered I needed her for information. “f**k the technicalities.” Livid, I grab the keycard out of her hand and toss it behind me. “Tell me where she is. Now.” “Drew, baby,” she coos in a fake sweet tone, wrapping her hand around my bicep. “I needed to get you away from her so I could talk to you about us for five seconds without her around.” I jerk my arm and fling her hand off me. “There is no us, you psycho. You tell me where she is or I’ll have you arrested for k********g,” I threaten with full intention of following through if she doesn’t answer me. “I promise you, Drew. I didn’t touch her.” “But you know who did.” I grip her arm and yank her body against mine. “You’re playing games with the wrong person, Mia. I will haul your ass over my shoulder and personally deliver you to the LVPD. You want to play the easy way or the hard way?” I grit my teeth so hard, she jumps. “Either way, you’re going to tell me where the f**k my girlfriend is.” Her body shivers and I watch as her throat moves. She’s never seen me like this before. Hell, I’ve never seen me like this before. At least not since before entering the academy. “Fine,” she finally hisses. “I’ll tell you everything I know. After that, you let me go.” I force out a laugh. “You’re really trying to negotiate at a time like this?” “Unless your plan is to keep me here against my will, you won’t be the only one facing charges,” she fires back. This f*****g b***h. “You tell me what you know and then I’ll decide if I’ll let you go or not.” “I had a friend help me. Once I took the key and got inside, he grabbed her and left. I don’t know where he took her.” “Bullshit. Where is she?” “I just told you everything I know!” She starts wiggling out of my grip, and I squeeze even tighter. “Drew, let me go!” “Scream all you want, Mia. The faster the cops get here, the better for me anyway.” “f**k you, Drew Fisher!” she spits in my face. “I was the best thing that ever happened to you!” I laugh, bobbing my head. “I can’t tell whether you’re just that full of yourself and delirious or if you truly have a mental health concern.” I loosen my grip and she eventually pulls herself away. “The best thing to ever happen to me was when I finally saw you for what you are. I wasted years on you and you come back to f**k my life up even more. So, no, f**k you, Mia Montgomery. You better have a fancy lawyer on retainer, because I’m going to make sure you go behind bars for this little arrangement you planned. If one f*****g hair on her head—one f*****g thread of hair—on her is hurt, you will pay.” “That sounds like a threat, Officer Fisher. You sure you don’t want to watch yourself and retract those words before that gets you in trouble?” The smug b***h is smiling. “I’m done playing charades. Security footage will tell me exactly where she is and whoever is letting you puppet master them won’t be able to protect you any more than themselves.” I take a step toward the door, ready to brush past her and get the hell out of here. “Hold up.” She puts a hand up, stepping in front of me and blocking me from the door. “You sure that’s the smart thing to do? I mean, you basically just threatened me if I didn’t tell you answers to questions I don’t know. Then threatened me with lawsuits and jail time and God knows what else could be deciphered by the little temper tantrum you had.” “What the hell are you talking about?” Out of the corner of my eye, I see she reaches in her other back pocket and lifts a small black device. A f*****g voice recorder. “Don’t even try to take it from me,” she warns. “It automatically uploads to the iCloud and with just a few little swipes, it’ll email directly to the LVPD and your chief.” “And they’ll hear everything you just admitted to knowing. Smart plan,” I fire right back. “Oh, did I forget to mention a little detail? It’ll only send the recorded parts of your voice. All that’ll matter is that an off-duty officer was making threats to an innocent civilian.” “You’re bluffing.” “Am I?” Her lips spread into an evil smile. “Are you willing to risk it though? Your career?” I grind my teeth and brush a hand through my hair. I’m ready to blow. “You’re far from innocent.” She glides her tongue over the top of her lip, making sure to keep eye contact with me. “But who will they believe?” she taunts. “The fact that my ex-girlfriend followed me and my girlfriend to Vegas and then kidnapped her while we were sleeping is a far-fetched story to be lying about. It’ll take less than ten minutes to get access to security cameras to prove your involvement and that you’re the one up to no good.” “But the thought will already be in their heads,” she remarks. “They won’t know you’re the honest one right away. The fact that they’ll second-guess you will be enough to make them wonder about you and your capabilities as an officer. Is that something you’re willing to risk?” It takes me less than a second to respond. “For Courtney? I’d risk everything.” If the pounding in my head is any indication, I had one too many shots last night. However, waking up next to Drew in Vegas was worth every sip. Seeing him finally relax and smile again lets me know this trip was a good idea. As soon as I turn over and stretch my arm out against the cold sheets, I know something is off. I peel my eyes open and see I’m alone. The room looks identical to ours, but without even checking the room number, I know something isn’t right. We had suitcases out from me trying on three different outfits before we left. I had shoes left on the floor and I know for certain we had a pile of towels on the chair. This room is spotless. “What the f**k?” I mutter to myself. It looks like housekeeping came in overnight and all but bleached the walls. Pushing the covers off, I stand up and check myself over, patting up and down my body. I’m still in my dress, which isn’t all that odd considering how exhausted I felt. I think back to last night when we were sitting at the hotel bar downstairs. We’d drank most of the night and when we called it quits, we used the elevator and went back up to our room. I vaguely remember tossing my shoes off and passing out, but it’s a little fuzzy. My head had felt foggy and my eyelids heavy. It’s the last thing I remember before waking up. Walking over to the window, I rip open the drapes. The sun beams in so brightly, I have to squint until my eyes adjust. Lights from the strip are still on, but you can’t see them unless you really look at them. Cars are cruising down the road and groups of people are walking down the sidewalk. Feeling relief and knowing I’m still in Vegas gives me hope. As I look down, watching over everything, I remember feeling like I saw someone I recognized last night. Obviously a little drunk and wound up, I for sure thought I was seeing things, but now I’m not so sure. Where the hell am I, and where the hell is Drew? Walking back over to the bed, I search for my phone with little hope I actually had it on me. With no sign of it anywhere, I decide I’ll just call the front desk and ask who the room is registered to. “How may I help you?” “Hi, um yeah. I was wondering, this might sound like a crazy question—well, maybe not, since it’s Vegas after all—but, could you tell me whose name this room is registered in?” “Yes, no problem, ma’am.” I hear her typing. “It’s registered under Courtney Bishop.” “What?” I gasp. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Ms. Bishop?” she asks sweetly. I’m too stunned to reply, so I just hang up the phone and stumble back onto the bed. Trying to put the pieces together, I lie down flat and replay the night repeatedly, trying to remember the familiar person I saw at the bar. It was a man. He was wearing a black hoodie or black coat. The hood was pulled down over his forehead, but I remember his eyes. They were in thin slits as he watched us, until he saw me looking at him, and then he bowed his head and stalked off. It could’ve been a woman, I guess. Hair pulled back or something, but I can’t shake the feeling that it was a guy. Unable to take it any longer, I decide I’d rather walk out of here a barefoot hot mess than wait to see who’s coming back for me. I’d been awake for less than ten minutes, so chances are, whoever is behind this could return any minute. Before I can leave, a knock comes from the door and startles me. I swallow, unable to move. “Room service,” I hear a man shout with a rough voice from the other side. Confused as hell, but also a little relieved it’s a staff member, I rush to the door and whip it open. A man in a tailored uniform pushes a tray inside and asks where I want it. “I didn’t order any room service,” I tell him, wondering how crazy I’d sound if I told him this wasn’t even my room. I feel like I’m living in the Twilight Zone. He pushes the cart in farther and places the tray on the end of the bed and then picks up a black server book. Opening it up, he lifts the receipt and reads it over aloud. “Room 2509 at ten a.m.,” he reads. “Two eggs over-easy with a side of bacon.” I shake my head, more confused than before. I need to get the hell out of here. “Okay, thanks,” is all I can think of to say. He sets the book down and starts to head out. “My pleasure. Make sure to eat that before it gets cold.” He smirks and for some reason it sends a chilling shiver down my spine. How in the hell did I book a room and order room service all while being out cold? The answer is I didn’t. I rush back to the phone and dial nine with the area code followed by Drew’s number. With every number I press, my hand shakes a little more. I’m relieved when he answers on the first ring. “Courtney?” “Oh my God!” I nearly cry. “Drew.” “Sweetheart, where are you? Are you okay?” His voice is panicked and rushed. “Yes, I-I think so. I’m in room 2509. Do you know why I’m here? Or how I got here?” “I’ll explain everything when I get there. Don’t move. I’m coming.” “Okay.” I hang up and rub my hands up and down my arms. Needing to distract myself, I lift the silver lid from the platter on the tray. I gasp when I see what’s underneath it. The lid slips from my fingers and falls to the floor causing a loud metal clank to echo throughout the room. I take a step closer and see the two eggs on top of the plate and a slice of bacon lined at the bottom, curved down into the shape of a frown. The eggs on top are the eyes and in the middle is a grape for the nose. However, the breakfast made into a sad face isn’t the most disturbing part. There’s red sauce dripping underneath the eggs as if the eyes are crying. It trails all the way down past the grape nose and to the corners of the bacon lips. “What the hell?” I study it and wonder if this is supposed to be some kind of sick joke. Needing to cover it back up, I pick the lid back up, and that’s when I notice a white envelope taped inside. I peel it off and see my name written across it. Courtney. I knew this wasn’t just a coincidence. My hands shake as I rip it open. Whoever put me in here wanted to make sure I saw this. Inside is a white piece of paper and as soon as I flip it over, I see her handwriting. Steal my man from me again and I’ll make sure those tears of blood are coming from your eyes instead. You’ve been warned. I read it over twice just to make sure I read it correctly. Looking over my shoulder, I look around the room, consciously worried that she could be in here somewhere watching me. I need to get the hell out of here. I can’t wait for Drew anymore.